Cigarette dispenser and lighter



Oct. 5, 1965 R. E. GUSHWA ETAL 3,209,940

CIGARETTE DISPENSER AND LIGHTER Filed April 20, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 i6INVENTORS Oct. 5, 1965 R. E. GUSHWA ETAL 3,209,940

CIGARETTE DISPENSER AND LIGHTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1962FIG. 4.

IN VEN TORS 1965 R. E. GUSHWA ETAL 3,209,940

CIGARETTE DISPENSER AND LIGHTER Filed April 20, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTORS. 24APH E. Gash W4, mass Y A4. GusHu/Ar,

United States Patent 3,209,940 CIGARETTE DISPENSER AND LIGHTER Ralph E.Gushwa and Daisy M. Gushwa, both of 117 E. Ash St., Caldwell, IdahoFiled Apr. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 189,104

8 Claims. (Cl. 221--4) This invention relates to a novel cigarettedispenser and lighter.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a moreefficient, more practical, and more easily operated device of the kindindicated, which has, within a closed housing, a rotary cigarettemagazine, operated by an external knob on the housing, which isrotatable to drop individual cigarettes onto an electrical ignitingelement which is energized by the closing of a switch produced byrotation of the knob, the individual cigarettes being supported on theheating element by a trough which leads to the outside of the housingand from which lighted cigarettes are removed from the device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter indicated above which is composed of a small number of simpleand easily assembled parts, and which can be made in rugged andwell-finished forms, at relatively low cost.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in a device of thecharacter indicated above, of more eflicient and reliable energizingmeans for the igniting elements, which involves an electric relay whichis closed by closing of the switch, as the knob is rotated, and isconnected to a, step-up transformer, connected to the igniting element,through a hold circuit involving a condenser, an alternating currentflattening diode, and an electrolytic capacitor.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device of the present invention,showing its cover closed;

FIGURE 2 is a view like FIGURE 1, showing the cover open for placingcigarettes in its magazine;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical section, taken on the line 44 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are horizontal sections taken on the lines 5-5 and 6-6,respectively, of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken through thetrough and adjacent structure, showing a cigarette engaged with theigniting element;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are horizontal sections taken on the lines 88 and 99 ofFIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 10 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuit for the ignitingelement.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the illustrated devicecomprises a vertically elongated housing 12 of substantially squarecross section. The housing 12 can, however, be of any suitable form andcross section. The housing 12 is composed of a hollow pan-shaped base 14having an upwardly offset bottom wall 16, and a continuous sidewall 18,and a main hollow portion 20, into whose lower end the upper part of thebase is telescoped and secured removably in place, as by means of screws22.

The main housing portion which is open at its upper end, has a frontwall 24, a back wall 26, and side walls 28, the back wall 26 risingabove the other Walls. The front wall 24 has a lateral head 30 extendingalong its upper edge, which is on a level with forward horizontal3,209,940 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 portions 32 of the upper edges of theside walls 28, which include upwardly and rearwardly inclined rearportions 34, which reach to the upper end of the back wall 26.

A hollow cover 36 is hinged, as indicated at 38, on the upper end of theback wall 26, and comprises a fiat top wall 40, a front wall 42 having alateral bead 44 along its lower edge, to meet the bead 30 on the frontwall of the main housing portion 20, when the cover 36 is closed, andside walls 46. The 'side walls 46 have horizontal forward lower edgeportions 48, to coincide with the forward edge portions 32 of the mainhousing portion 20, and inclined rear edge portions 50, to coincide withthe rear edge portions 34 thereof, when the cover is closed, so that asubstantially airtight enclosure is obtained.

The cover top wall 40 is centrally traversed by a bearing 52 throughwhich a vertical shaft 54 is journaled, which has fixed thereon andspaced thereabove, a circular knob 56 having projecting from itsunderside a concentric circle of equally circumferentially spacedrounded bosses 58, herein disclosed as being twenty-one in number. Fixedon the shaft 54, beneath the top wall 40, and turning in an opening 60in a bearing plate 62, spaced beneath the top wall 40, as by bolts 64and spaced sleeves 66, is a downwardly opening socket 68, having abelled lower end 70. The sidewall of the socket 68 is formed with a pairof diametrically opposed vertical slots 72, which open to the lower endof the socket.

A normally open switch 74 is mounted through the cover top wall 40 andhas a rounded, upwardly spring pressed push button 76, which normallybears against the undersurface of the knob 56, in the line with thebosses 58, so that the button 76 is depressed and the switch 74 closed,as the knob 56 is rotated and a boss 58 engages and depresses the button76, for energizing a cigratette igniting element, hereinafter described.Insulated wires 78 and 80 lead downwardly from the switch 74 into thehousing 12.

An open-ended vertical cylindrical hollow jacket 82 is spacedly centeredwithin the upper part of the main housing portion 20, and has its upperend 84 substantially on a level with the forward upper edge portionsthereof, and a lower end 86 spaced upwardly from the base. Bolts 88extending through the walls of the main housing portion 20 and thesidewall 90 of the jacket 82, combined with spacers 92 on the bolts,supported jacket spacedly within the housing. A horizontal partitionwall 94 extends across the interior of the jacket 82, intermediate itsupper and lower ends, and is secured to the jacket sidewall 90, as bymeans of pendant ears 96 traversed by bolts 98.

A diametrical support bar 100 is fixed to and extends across the lowerend of the jacket 82 and is traversed, at its center, by the lower endof an upstanding threaded and rotatable shaft 102, having a roundedupper end 104 loosely engaged in the cover socket and provided with across pin 106, whose ends engage in the socket slots 72, wherebyrotation of the knob produces rotation of the shaft 102. The shaft 102extends through an opening 108 in the partition wall and thereabove, hassecured thereon a cylindrical cigarette magazine 110, for rotationtherewith. The lower end of the shaft 102 is rotatably supported on thebar in a socket 11.

The cigarette magazine 110 can be a solid block or a closed hollowcylinder having a bottom wall 112, a top wall 114, and a sidewall 116,which runs closed to the sidewall of the jacket 82, the top wall 114being substantially on a level with the upper edge 84 of the jacket 82,and the bottom wall 112 being spaced above the partition wall 94. Thetop and bottom walls of the maga-v zine 110 have centered openings 118and 120, respectively, and a sleeve 122 is secured, at related endsthereof, to

the top and bottom walls around these openings. The sleeve 122 closelyreceives the shaft 102 and is fixed for rotation therewith by upper andlower nuts 124 and 126, on the shaft and jammed against the upper andlower surfaces of the top and bottom Walls 114 and 112, respectively.The lower nut 126 rests upon a washer 128, circumposed on the shaft 102between the nut 126 and the partition wall 94.

The sidewall 116 of the magazine 110 is indented by twenty-one verticalsemi-circular chambers 130, which are equally spaced around the magazine110 and correspond in position to the locations of the bosses 58 on theoperating knob 56 and numbers 132 of a position indicating scaleprovided around the edge of the nob, which runs from to 20. As indicatedin FIGURE 4, the magazine 110 is somewhat shorter than the height orlength of cigarettes C, disposed in the chambers 138, with their lowerends resting upon the partition wall 94. The partition wall has a singleopening 134, not larger in diameter than necessary to permit a singlecigarette to fall freely therethrough from a magazine chamber whenregistered with the opening.

The device being intended to hold and dispense the twenty cigarettes ofa conventional cigarette package, one at a time, has twenty-one chambers130, so that at the start, the twenty-first chamber, which is devoid ofa cigarette, is registered with the partition wall opening 134, and allof the twenty cigarettes in the other chambers 130 are held in place inthe other chambers by the partition wall, until the knob 56 is rotatedto put the first, and subsequent chambers, one at a time, in registrywith the opening 134 for dispensing of the cigarettes present therein.The top wall 40 of the cover 36 has thereon a mark 136 which, withreference to the scale numerals 132 on the knob 56, indicates the numberof cigarettes present in the magazine, after rotation of the knob beyondthe 0 position.

An upwardly inclined trough 138 has an upper end portion 140 extendingthrough a flanged vertical slot 142, in the sidewall 90 of the jacket82, and aligned with the opening, and a vertical slot 144 in the frontwall 24 of the main housing portion 20, and is secured in place byrivets 146 which are secured to parallel spaced external ribs 148 on theexterior of the front wall 24. The upper surface of the trough 138 is ofsemi-circular concave curvature, somewhat larger in diameter than acigarette, and the trough is shorter than a cigarette C.

A fiat electrical igniting element 150 is supported normal to the lowerend 152 of the trough 138 and is slightly spaced therefrom and extendsthereabove, for full contact with the lower end of a dispensed cigarettefalling into the trough 138 from the opening 134 of the partition wall,and through. the slots 142 and 144. The igniting element 158 issurrounded by and secured to a dielectric ceramic ring 152, which ismounted on the depressed outer end of an arm 154 whose elevated innerend is secured to the support bar 100.

The igniting element 150 is energized upon closing of the switch anddropping of a cigarette into the trough, by means of a suitableenergizing unit contained in the housing base 14, which includes meansmaintaining the igniting element in operation long enough to assurelighting of a cigarette in contact therewith. A suitable energizingunit, shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, comprises an electromagnetic, normallyopen, relay 156, a condenser 158, an electrolytic capacitor 168, astep-down transformer 162 having secondary winding wires 164 leading tothe igniting element 150. A silicon rectifier 166 has one side connectedto a wire 174 which connects the relay coil and one side of thecapacitor 160, the other side of the rectifier 166 being connected to aresistor 170, the other side of which is connected to a 110- volt powerline 176. The other power line 178 is connected to the other side of thecapacitor 160. The line 178 is also connected to a wire 180, and to arelay con tact 182, whose contactor 184 is connected to the remainingside of the primary of the transformer 162. The wire 180 leads to oneside of the resistor 168 and to one side of the condenser 158. The otherside of the condenser 158 is connected to the relay contactor 186 and tothe switch wire 80. The remaining side of the resistor 168 is connectedto the contact 188 of the relay 156. The switch wire 78 is connected toone side of the winding of the relay 156, and to the second contact 190of the relay 156.

The components of the circuit are identified as follows:

The relay 156::10009 d.p.d.t.;

The condenser 158:100 mfd., volts, adjustable for ignition duration;

The capacitor 160:100 mfd., 150 volts;

The transformer 162:110 volts, 6.3 filament;

The rectifier 166:100 ma. silicon;

The resistor 168:100052, 1 watt; and,

The resistor 170:829, 1 watt.

In operation, upon closing of the switch 74, one side of the 110 voltA.C. current passes through the resistor 170, which limits the amount ofcurrent passed through the rectifier diode 166, which changes thecurrent to DC. current, which is then filtered to more pure directcurrent by the capacitor 160. A circuit is completed through switch 74and resistor 168 to the other side of the 110-volt line through therelay 156 and closes two of its contacts (190, 186). This startscharging the capacitor 158. When the capacitor 158 becomes fullycharged, the current drops below the level required to keep the relayclosed, and the relay contacts open, whereat the capacitor 158discharges through. the resistor 168, and is ready for anotheroperation. The second set of contacts (182, 184) of the relay 156 closeso that the transformer 162 is energized, while the relay is energized,and sends about 6.3 volts of alternating current to the igniting element150.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette dispenser comprising an open-top housing means, apartition wall extending across the housing means, a vertical rotarymagazine shaft supported on the housing means and extending upwardlythrough the partition wall, a cylindrical cigarette magazine fixedlycircumposed on the shaft within the housing means, the magazine havingperipheral circumferentially spaced vertical cigarette chambersextending therearound, said partition wall being adapted to supportcigarettes positioned in the chambers and having a single openingadjacent to the side-wall of the housing means with which the chambersare registrable one at a time for dispensing a cigarette through theopening, a hinged cover normally closing the top of the housing means,rotary means journaled through the cover, and releasable connectingmeans on said rotary means and operatively connected with the magazineshaft only in the closed position of the cover.

2. A cigarette dispenser comprising an open-top housing means, apartition wall extending across the housing means, a vertical rotarymagazine shaft supported on the housing means and extending upwardlythrough the partition wall, a cylindrical cigarette magazine fixedlycircumposed on the shaft within the housing means, the magazine havingperipheral circumferentially spaced vertical cigarette chambersextending therearound, said partition wall being adapted to supportcigarettes positioned in the chambers and having a single openingadjacent to the side-Wall of the housing means with which the chambersare registrable one at a time for dispensing a cigarette through theopening, a hinged cover normally closing the top of the housing means,rotary means journaled through the cover, and releasable connectingmeans on said rotary means and operatively connected with the magazineshaft only in the closed position of the cover, the sidewall of thehousing means having a vertical slot registered with said opening,through which a J cigarette entering the partition wall opening falls,and a dispensing trough mounted on the housing means at the lower end ofthe housing slot for receiving a fallen cigarette.

3. A cigarette dispenser comprising a housing, a vertical cylindricaljacket supported Within the housing, a partition wall extending acrossthe jacket and spaced below the upper end of the jacket, a verticalrotary magazine shaft supported on the housing and extending upwardlythrough the partition Wall and axially through the jacket andthereabove, a cylindrical cigarette magazine fixedly circumposed on theshaft within the jacket, the magazine having peripheralcircumferentially spaced vertical cigarette chambers extendingtherearound and facing the wall of the jacket, said partition wall beingadapted to support cigarettes positioned in the chambers and having asingle opening adjacent to the sidewall of the jacket with which thechambers are registrable one at a time for dispensing a cigarettethrough the opening, said housing having a hinged cover on its upperend, a knob having a shaft journaled through the cover, a socket fixedon the lower end of the knob shaft, said socket being engaged over theupper end of the magazine shaft only in the closed position of thecover, and means for non-rotatably connecting the socket to the magazineshaft in the closed position of the cover.

4. A cigarette dispenser comprising a housing, a vertical cylindricaljacket supported within the housing, a partition wall extending acrossthe jacket and spaced below the upper end of the jacket, a verticalrotary magazine shaft supported on the housing and extending upwardlythrough the partition Wall and axially through the jacket andthereabove, a cylindrical cigarette magazine fixedly circumposed on theshaft within the jacket, the magazine having peripheralcircumferentially spaced vertical cigarette chambers extendingthereround and facing the wall of the jacket, said partition wall beingadapted to support cigarettes positioned in the chambers and having asingle opening adjacent to the sidewall of the jacket with which thechambers are registrable one at a time for dispensing a cigarettethrough the opening, said housing having a hinged cover on its upperend, a knob having a shaft journaled through the cover, a socket fixedon the lower end of the knob shaft, said socket being engaged over theupper end of the magazine shaft only in the closed position of thecover, means for nonrotata-bly connecting the socket to the magazineshaft in the closed position of the cover, an electrical ignitingelement mounted in a position to be engaged by the end of a cigarettewhich has dropped through said opening, an electrical igniting unitlocated Within the housing below the partition wall and connected to theigniting element, and normally open switch means on the cover having anupstanding actuating spring-pressed button positioned beneath andnormally engaging the underside of the knob, said switch means beingconnected to the igniting unit so as to control the same, said knobhaving circumferentially spaced downwardly projecting bossescorresponding in number and position to the magazine chamber, the knobbeing adapted to be rotated to engage the bosses with and depress theswitch means button and close the switch means for operating theigniting element, as cigarettes fall through said opening one at a time.

5. A cigarette dispenser comprising a housing, a vertical cylindricaljacket supported within the housing, a partition wall extending acrossthe jacket and spaced below the upper end of the jacket, a verticalrotary magazine shaft supported on the housing and extending upwardlythrough the partition wall and axially through the jacket andthereabove, a cylindrical cigarette magazine fixedly circumposed on theshaft within the jacket, the magazine having preipheralcircumferentially spaced vertical cigarette chambers extendingtherearound and facing the Wall of the jacket, said partition wall beingadapted to support cigarettes positioned in the chambers and having asingle opening adjacent to the sidewall of the jacket with which thechambers are registrable one at a time for dispensing a cigarettethrough the opening, said housing having a hinged cover on its upperend, a knob having a shaft journaled through the cover, a socket fixedon the lower end of the knob shaft, said socket being engaged over theupper end of the magazine sha ft only in the closed position of thecover, means for nonrotatably connecting the socket to, the magazineshaft in the closed position of the cover, an electrical ignitingelement mounted in a position to be engaged by the end of a cigarettewhich has dropped through said opening, an electrical igniting unitlocated within the housing below the partition wall and connected to theigniting element, and normally open switch means on the cover having anupstanding actuating spring-pressed button positioned beneath andnormally engaging the underside of the knob, said switch means beingconnected to the igniting unit so as to control the same, said knobhaving circumferentially spaced downwardly projecting bossescorresponding in number and position to the magazine chambers, the knobbeing adapted to be rotated to engage the bosses with and depress theswitch means button and close the switch means for operating theigniting element, as cigarettes fall through said opening one at a time,said knob having a circle of indicating numerals thereon correspondingin position to the chambers of the magazine,- and a mark on the cover towhich the numerals refer.

6. A cigarette dispenser comprising a housing, a vertical cylindricaljacket supported within the housing, a partition wall extending acrossthe jacket and spaced below the upper end of the jacket, a verticalrotary magazine shaft supported on the housing and extending upwardlythrough the partition wall and axially through the jacket andthereabove, a cylindrical cigarette magazine fixedly circumposed on theshaft within the jacket, the magazine having peripheralcircumferentially spaced vertical cigarette chambers extendingtherearound and facing the wall of the jacket, said partition wall beingadapted to support cigarettes positioned in the chambers and having asingle opening adjacent to the sidewall of the jacket with which thechambers are registrable one at a time for dispensing a cigarettethrough the opening, said housing having a hinged cover on its upperend, a knob having a shaft journaled through the cover, a socket fixedon the lower end of the knob shaft, said socket being engaged over theupper end of the magazine shaft only in the closed position of thecover, means for nonrotatably connecting the socket to the magazineshaft in the closed position of the cover, an electrical ignitingelement mounted in a position to be engaged by the end of a cigarettewhich has dropped through said opening, an electrical igniting unitlocated within the housing below the partition wall and connected to theigniting element, and normally open switch means on the cover having anupstanding actuating spring-pressed button positioned beneath andnormally engaging the underside of the knob, said switch means beingconnected to the igniting unit so as to control the same, said knobhaving circumferentially spaced downwardly projecting bossescorresponding in number and position to the magazine chambers, the knobbeing adapted to be rotated to engage the bosses with and depress theswitch means button and close the switch means for operating theigniting element, as cigarettes fall through said opening one at a time,said igniting unit comprising means for maintaining energization of theigniting element for a period of time after the button of the switchmeans has been returned to open position by the passage of a bossthereover.

7. A cigarette dispenser comprising a housing, a vertical cylindricaljacket supported within the housing, a partition wall extending acrossthe jacket and spaced below the upper end of the jacket, a verticalrotary magazine shaft supported on the housing and extending upwardlythrough the partition wall and axially through the jacket andthereabove, a cylindrical cigarette magazine fixedly circumposed on theshaft within the jacket, the magazine having peripheralcircumferentially spaced vertical cigarette chambers extendingtherearound and facing the wall of the jacket, said partition wall beingadapted to support cigarettes positioned in the chambers and having asingle opening adjacent to the sidewall of the jacket with which thechambers are registrable one at a time for dispensing a cigarettethrough the opening, and means for rotating the magazine relative to thehousing, said housing comprising a pan-shaped base having a continuoussidewall, a main portion securably telescoped onto the side wall of thebase, said partition wall being located within and mounted on said mainportion, the top of the magazine being on a level with the upper end ofthe jacket.

8. A cigarette dispenser comprising a housing, a vertical cylindricaljacket supported within the housing, a partition wall extending acrossthe jacket and spaced below the upper end of the jacket, a verticalrotary magazine shaft supported on the housing and extending upwardlythrough the partition wall and axially through the jacket andthereabove, a cylindrical cigarette magazine fixedly circumposed on theshaft within the jacket, the magazine having peripheralcircumferentially spaced vertical cigarette chambers extendingtherearound and facing the wall of the jacket, said partition wall beingadapted to support cigarettes positioned in the chambers and having asingle opening adjacent to the sidewall of the jacket with which thechambers are registrable one at a time for dispensing a cigarettethrough the opening, and means for rotating the magazine relative to thehousing, said housing comprising a pan-shaped base having a continuoussidewall, a main portion securably telescoped onto the sidewall of thebase, said partition wall being located within and mounted on said mainportion, the top of the magazine being on a level with the upper end ofthe jacket, and a cover hinged on the upper end of the main housingportion, on which said rotating means is mounted.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 646,860 4/00Moyes 2 2'14 2,182,336 12/39 Goldstine 21932 2,243,889 6/41 Shively22i116 2,340,773 2/44 Shively 2l932.2 2,371,343 3/45 Melchert 2217-6 X2,422,478 6/47 Geller et a1 22 l- 82 2,663,606 12/53 Cronan 221-822,878,960 3/59 Holtsch 2214 FOREIGN PATENTS 70,206 10/49 Denmark.

910,618 2/46 France.

392,317 3 24 Germany.

899,872 12/53 Germany.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner.

1. A CIGARETTE DISPENSER COMPRISING AN OPEN-TOP HOUSING MEANS, A PARTIONWALL EXTENDING ACROSS THE HOUSING MEANS, A VERTICAL ROTARY MAGAZINESHAFT SUPPORTED ON THE HOUSING MEANS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH THEPARTITION WALL, A CYLINDRICAL CIGARETTE MAGAZINE FIXELDY CIRCUMPOSED ONTHE SHAFT WITHIN THE HOUSING MEANS, THE MAGAZINE HAVING PERIPHERALCIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED VERTICAL CIGARETTE CHAMBERS EXTENDINGTHEREAROUND, SAID PARTITION WALL BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT CIGARETTESPOSITIONED IN THE CHAMBERS AND HAVING A SINGLE OPENING ADJACENT TO THESIDE-WALL OF THE HOUSING MEANS WITH WHICH